An Espresso Stranger
by sleepingwiththefish
Summary: Humanstuck! Karkat Vantas is your normal, mediocre guy but when he falls head over heels for a sweet ballerina in his coffee shop. But in New York City, it's hard to find a fairy-tale and with a throng of mischief trying to get between him and his new love... What is Karkat supposed to do? Fluff, (maybe a lemon/smut), Katnep, NepKat, NepetaxKarkat...
1. Chapter 1

Thursdays were always slow, Karkat had noticed that. Even in the big city where the world seemed to be at the fingers of most people, most of them didn't seem to have time to stop and sit around, drinking a coffee and relaxing. He'd arrived in the city two years ago with his best friend, eager to make a real life for himself. At twenty years of age, he worked in a coffee shop downtown that did okay for itself, lived in an apartment pretty far away from anything decent and owned a motorbike so he could squeeze through traffic during rush-hour. He was doing fine, but it was a boring life.

So, at 15:39 on a Thursday afternoon in October, Karkat found himself sitting on a chair behind the counter, scrolling through his Facebook new feed on his crappy old iPhone. It'd been a gift from his older sister, Kanaya, two years as a sort of congratulatory gift for moving to the big city and going his own way. He hadn't convinced himself to part with it yet, especially since it's only flaw was it was a little slow and there was a tiny crack in the glass screen in the top-right corner.

There he sat, oblivious to the world around him as he glared at a photo of his ex and her new boyfriend. He hadn't really got any feelings for her anymore, their relationship had ended like a trainwreck and all feelings between them had gone out like a flame. In his mind, it hadn't been his fault at all. Terezi, with her bright teal eyes and short red hair, she'd captured his attention and kept him there like he was in a prison cell. It was all about the passion, the screwing about and knowing they wouldn't get caught since it was hardly a crime. He was a mediocre guy, living a mediocre life. She was a year younger, busy finishing up in law school so she could continue as a lawyer.

But she had always been the reckless type. As mature and relaxed as she was, when she completed the hardest part of her exam to become a lawyer, Terezi had gone partying. Karkat, knowing his girlfriend would wake up the next morning, hungover, sick and probably pissed off as hell, had gone to her apartment to look after her. However, he walked in and left immediately, greeted by the sight of her naked in bed with the DJ from the party. That had put out their relationship like a bucket water to the flame they ignited within one-another.

In fact, Karkat was so busy recalling their relationship that he barely heard the shop bell ring as somebody walked in. So, when the girl coughed to gain his attention, Karkat jumped right out of his skin. Jumping straight up off his seat, his phone flew into the air and landed straight in a bowl of water.

"Shit." Karkat cursed, turning to glare at the girl who had startled him so. "What the fuck did you do that for?"

The girl looked horrified and Karkat remembered that he wasn't supposed to swear at or around customers. Stunned by himself, he quickly apologized and fished his destroyed phone out of the water. He put it on the side and tried to turn it on, though it emitted a flash of light before dying completely.

"Dear pawed, I'm so sorry!" The girl said suddenly, running to the side and behind the counter to look at his destroyed phone.

"It's fine. Haven't got the money to buy a new phone but that's not my fucking fault." Karkat muttered beneath his breath.

"I'm so sorry, I nevpurr meant to!" The girl said and Karkat turned to look at her.

Admittedly, his anger cooled a little then because, being male, he couldn't stay mad at a pretty girl. And this girl was past that. She was probably no taller than 5'3", making his 5'7" look much taller than she. Her hair was a honey-blonde and a mass of messy waves and curls surrounded her face whilst the rest was pulled back into a bun. Eyes like olives in a martini glass, they looked like tears were about to cascade from them and her ivory skin made her resemble a doll or fairy more than a human. A tiny smattering of freckles had been painted over her petite, pixie nose and there was a tiny blush on her cheeks. Her body was even more to marvel at, slender but curvy beneath the black skirt and olive jumper. Her waist looked to be tiny, putting Terezi's slender one to shame.

"Whatever. Guess I'll have to deal with it." Karkat muttered. "Now, if you want a drink you have to stand on the other side of the counter."

The girl gasped, probably realizing her mistake, then scurried around the wooden counter. Her movements were small but lithe like those of a dancer. She smiled, her glossy pink lips tempting Karkat to take his chances and press his against them. Feelings like these were rare to Karkat and the idea of experimenting made him think.

"Sorry. Um, could I have Cappucino with extra foam and chocolate powder on top?" The girl asked, blushing still.

"Sure. Whatever." Karkat said before busily fixing up the drink. The girl sure was precise.

When the drink was made, Karkat turned to look at the girl who was smiling. She took the drink from him and sat down at the nearest table before pulling out a newer model of his phone. Muttering a few words beneath his breath, Karkat turned to look at his destroyed phone. He hadn't got the money to buy a new one and since all his money was fixated on his rent that month, repairing the thing was out of the question as well. Fuck.

"Excuse me, um, may I ask mew something?" The girl asked, blushing slightly.

Karkat turned to look back at the girl who had promptly put the phone back in a designer bag. Rich chicks, Karkat wasn't a fan since they always seemed to want the best of the best. He'd only ever dated one back in high school and that had turned sour pretty quickly. So, nowadays, he steered well away from them. But this girl didn't seem to fit the stereotype. She seemed kind, sweet and a little shy. Nothing like the rich chicks he knew.

"Shoot." Karkat sighed, picking up a mug from the washer and drying it.

"My brother is really great with electronics. I could take your phone to him so he can repurr it and then I'll bring it back." The girl said with a small smile.

Rather than replying, Karkat said, "What the hell is up with your speech?"

"Oh, sorry. I have a tendency to use cat puns every now and then..." The girl said, blushing and suddenly looking awkward.

Karkat sighed, realizing he'd done it again. So far he'd humiliated a customer, swore at her and around her, were there any rules he hadn't broken. The fact that the girl was simply offering to get his phone repaired stunned even Karkat. Had he done anything nice for this girl yet?

"So, um, want me to get your phone fixed?" The girl said, a blush on her cheeks.

"Sure. Good luck with it." Karkat finally sighed, giving the girl his soaken phone. She finished off the small-ish mug of coffee then switched for the phone.

"Will mew be here tomorrow?" The girl asked, smiling.

"Yeah. Open till eight." Karkat sighed.

"See you then!" The girl chirped before hurrying out the door, a large smile on her lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Friday came around and it was nearing four o'clock. The place was busy for once and Karkat found himself handing coffees, teas and every other sort of drink to teenagers fresh out of school and adults fresh out of offices. He was the only one working since Sollux (his best-friend) had called in sick (he wasn't sick. He was too busy screwing around with his new girlfriend to work) so the workload on Karkat was tougher. His red converse had a coffee stain on the white front and he was pretty sure he reeked of espresso but the olive-eyed girl was still in his head.

"Two iced teas, one raspberry and the other peach, please." A familiar voice said.

Karkat turned to look at the olive-eyed girl. She looked different, her hair curling down her back and over her breasts, whilst she donned a white see-through blouse (she wore a camisole underneath) and a pair of black skinny jeans. The girl looked much different, but the smile on her face was still the same.

Behind her, however, was a girl Karkat had seen many times before. Feferi, Sollux's girlfriend, was stood with the olive-eyed girl and smiling at Karkat. How the two knew each-other Karkat didn't know but they seemed close. Good friends if not best-friends. God, it was strange seeing Feferi with someone other than Sollux or Eridan...

"Sure. Hey Fef." Karkat said before hurrying to make the drinks.

"To go, please!" Feferi chuckled before fishing her purse out of her bag.

So maybe Sollux was sick, for once. What a fuckass. Just when it was getting really busy too. Quickly, Karkat finished off the other orders and handed them out before making the iced teas and switching them for money and a...

"I could've swore my phone was an iPhone 3G..." Karkat said, looking at the shiny, new iPhone 5S in his hand along with t he five dollar bill.

"My brother said your phone was rubbish so he replaced it. But this one has all your data on so it's practically the same. Sorry about that..." The olive-eyed girl said quietly, looking slightly sad.

Sure, the phone he'd had before had been a pleasant gift from his sister but this stranger had just brought him the newest version and the much better version too. He gulped, unsure whether to accept. He opened it up and typed in his old password, bringing up the same background, the same apps, but in a much shorter amount of time.

"I..." Karkat said.

"Just take it Karkat." Feferi giggled. "Now, Nepeta, are you going to ballet or mine?"

"I think I'll stay here a while, but I'll be over later, okay?" Nepeta asked, smiling sweetly.

Karkat got back to work and before he knew it, the olive-eyed girl was beside him, donning the same apron and pouring out the coffee. He would've refused and told her to fuck off, sit back down and drink her drink, but he was running behind a little and for once, he was actually thankful for the help.

As he made the drinks, Karkat began to think. Feferi had said the girl's name was Nepeta... right? Cute name. He was sure Jade, his old high-school friend who'd had an obsession with horticulture and plants, had mentioned the words Nepeta Cataria when referring to Catnip. After all, she'd had a dog who hated the stuff so it had amused them both to watch the animal run around destroying the plant. How ironic that she used cat puns and her first name was latin for Catnip.

By the time eight o'clock rolled around, Nepeta was sitting on the side, sipping a mug of chai latte (it was light so he presumed that meant diet) and Karkat was locking up the front door. He'd fixed himself up a cup of Americano, black coffee with no sugar or anything, and sat on one of the sofas as he lowered the blinds and then locked the shutters.

"Thanks, by the way." Karkat said, not looking up from his coffee.

"No purroblem. Mew needed help so it was the right thing to do!" Nepeta chuckled, smiling sweetly.

"Well, I guess I owe you since you bought me a whole new phone, helped me at work, raked in way too many tips for me and made my day a lot easier. So, what do you want?" Karkat asked, sighing with a grimace.

"How about you come to my ballet recital tomorrow night."

Karkat almost spat up his coffee.

"What?"

"Look, I don't really know mew but I came in yestpurrday and you looked lonely. I mean, you had a look that I once had and I wanted to be friends with mew. I guess I liked the idea of making a new furiend and I have this ballet recital I can't convince my brother to come to. I have a spurr ticket if you can come."

Karkat thought for a minute. This girl, she was pretty, kind and apparently talented too. And she wanted to be friends with him? Sure, he'd just been forcefully pushed into the friendzone but he didn't really care. The only real friend he had around the city was Sollux and then nobody else really. Gamzee, his stoner friend, was probably his other friend but the guy was always stoned so could it really be classed as a friendship?

And what had he got to lose? A girlfriend? Terezi had slept with another guy and now they were together so she clearly wouldn't care. Sollux, it was his grilfriend's friend. It was clearly going to work. Plus, it wasn't like anything was about to go wrong. After all, sure he was crabby and seemed to be constantly pissed off with the world but she hadn't seemed to care at all. In fact, it seemed like she felt the exact opposite and liked him for it since she'd offered to do so much for him. And he had to repay her somehow...

"Sure, want me to pick you up and take you there?" Karkat asked, realizing it was the least he could do.

"Around six would be great." Nepeta giggled, smiling.

"Where do you live?"

"How about I meet you here?" Nepeta chuckled, "I live just around the corner so it's hardly a walk."

"Sold." Karkat said before chuckling slightly.

One of those rare times occurred and Karkat found himself left with a smile on his pale lips. The chuckle that left his lips was something even he rarely heard and now he was just sitting there, smiling. It was a rare thing for him to smile since he'd a;ways been the stereotypical crabby and moody "teenager" though he wasn't exactly in that area anymore. But the people who made him smile were the people in his life who were special and hell, this chick was special.

Karkat walked Nepeta to her apartment, since it was dark outside and New York wasn't the safest place for a girl of her looks and height. Especially since she didn't look like she was too strong. After all, she was no more than 5'3", a whole head beneath him. Plus, she looked so innocent and sweet that Karkat wouldn't have been shocked if someone tried to abduct her or something. She looked like the type who wouldn't hurt a fly...

So, as Karkat got on his motorcycle, he began to think about Nepeta. He'd known her, what? Two days? Not even that, he thought solemnly. He knew so little about her and yet he felt strangely attached to her. She danced ballet, had a model for a best-friend, had an older brother who was good with electronics and she had enough money to live in apartment alone and buy him the new iPhone. That was all he knew over all, but she knew less than him. Then an idea came to Karkat's head. Kanaya, Karkat's older sister was sending him some money for his birthday and he could take Nepeta out for dinner. Get to know her a little better.

It was decided, he would ask her tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

She came running out of her apartment in a fluster, causing Karkat's ghost of a smile to appear. For once, Nepeta looked a lot less calm and collected; instead Karkat was met by Nepeta with beautiful make-up, but wearing a pair of leggings and a T-shirt advertising a band he'd never heard of. On her feet were military boots and she donned a leather jacket on top. She looked nothing like the calm, collected Nepeta he knew but in a way, he liked this one just as much.

"Sorry, I'm a little late since the make-up took so long."

Karkat handed her the other helmet and she just looked at him, confused. Karkat looked back at Nepeta and put his head to one-side, the red helmet making it look even more obvious.

"Where do I sit?" Nepeta asked with a blush.

"Behind me. Just wrap your arms around me and hold on tight." Karkat said from beneath the visor.

The ride was too short for Karkat's liking, he found comfort in her small arms wrapped around his leather-clad torso. It was comforting and when he parked the bike and Nepeta got off, Karkat found a frown upon his previously smiling lips. Slowly, he removed his helmet and helped Nepeta out of hers. Her long curls fell around her face like a shining, honey glow and Karkat felt another smile creep onto his lips. Apparently, he was in an exceptional mood today.

"Here mew go. Mew have a balcony seat so enjoy!" Nepeta chuckled, handing Karkat a slip of card, telling him his seat was on Side Balcony one, seat A1.

"Alright. Want me to walk you in?" Karkat asked, realizing he should probably behave like a real gentleman since he was going to a ballet. They were probably all sophisticated...

"No thank mew, I'm headed straight to the dressing rooms and I'm sure mew don't want to see me getting changed!" Nepeta chuckled.

Karkat had mixed feelings about that.

"Right." Karkat chuckled deeply, "I'll head in then. See you in a little while."

Karkat was sat in the main balcony, stunned. He had the best seats in the house and sat beside him were two of the snootiest people he'd ever met. One was a woman with jet black hair that reached her shoulders, a small pout on her pursed lips. Eyes that were a deep green and skin that looked freshly tanned, the woman was thin like a stick with an athletic build. The man was tall and built with muscle, his grey hair slicked back and donning glasses. His eyes were a deep blue but that was Karkat's guess. But what they wore showed their wealth.

And then it began.

He spotted her immediately, though her disguise was surprising. She wore a white that was covered in flower petals that moved as she did. Her arms were covered to the elbows by white lace and behind her was white material that fluttered and followed her every movement with grace. But her movements intrigued Karkat to no end. She was the only one on stage, though demanded complete attention so Karkat was fixated on her and not the beautiful scenery behind her.

Lithe movements that were so graceful and delicate that she looked like the fairy she played. La Sylphide was about a man who left his fiance to be with a fairy on his wedding day. Saddened by the fact that she had wings and could fly, the man begged a witch to remove her wings. So, he was given a scarf to remove his lover's ability of flight. However, it kills her and he is left alone. A romantic tragedy, his profession...

But Nepeta was the perfect person for the role of a fairy. Her every movement was precise and graceful, lithe as a huntress yet smoothe as a wave. Her legs moved so perfectly and delicately that it really was as though she was flying, causing the audience to watch in awe and amazement. Karkat found his eyes glued to her and when she left the stage, he began to breathe properly. Nepeta was amazing and he couldn't understand why nobody had come to see her.

"Beautiful, wasn't it?" The woman beside him asked, smiling.

"Incredibly." Karkat said, unable to give out more than one word.

"She's one of the best in the country, you know. Freshly discovered." The woman said, smiling as the next two dancers came on and the music changed.

"I can tell. She's captivating..." Karkat said, smiling once more. "I feel honored to know her."

"As do I." The woman said with a small chuckle.

By the end, Karkat found himself close to tears. The final dance was one of the saddest things Karkat had ever seen. The pair dancing, Nepeta and a man who was supposed to be the main character, made love look so impossible. Nepeta donned the scarf and looked visibly withered, her hair falling from the bun and her dancing looking like it was failing her. It seemed so genuine as the material that acted as her wings fell away as she spun round and round, the man holding her spinning waist. And when her body fell down like a board, he held her.

Her smile seemed so sad that it brought tears to Karkat's eyes and he thanked the woman beside him for handing him a tissue. And when Nepeta closed her eyes, the man crying, the audience seemed to collapse in a fit of tears. The curtain fell slowly and the lights stayed dimmed, giving the audience a moment to collect themselves. It was heartbreaking.

Slowly, the lights came up and Karkat rose to his feet, headed toward the dressing rooms. He hardly noticed the wealthy but older couple behind him, more interested in finding Nepeta and giving her a hug as a sort of congratulatory thanks. When he found himself there, she was stood outside, surrounded by photographers. Karkat smiled and the second she saw him, he saw her face light up.

"Karkitten!" She giggled, running over to him before jumping into his arms for a hug.

Nepeta was lighter than he'd expected and he happily held her close, smiling into her hair. He'd never really smiled before but he felt like he did nothing but smile around her now. She had brought him happiness and that was a feeling he hadn't experienced for a while.

"You were amazing Nep!" Karkat chuckled, grinning as he cuddled her close and held her above the ground.

"Thank mew, Karkitten." Nepeta giggled, her warmth radiating onto him. Her scent of grassy knolls and woodlands amazed him, but it was beautiful.

"Nepeta-May, that was beautiful."

Karkat put Nepeta down and looked at the old couple he'd sat beside earlier during the show. The two of them looked proud with their smiling lips and grinning eyes, Karkat took a moment to register the resemblance. But it was Nepeta's words that chained together the obvious knowledge.

"Mom? Dad?" Nepeta gasped, eyes wide and a smile playing on her wide, painted mouth.

"Well, you're the young man we sat by earlier." Nepeta's mother said, smiling. "Nepeta, you never told us you had a boyfriend."

It wasn't true but both Nepeta and Karkat blushed. Nepeta blushed pale peach beneath the thin layer of make-up and Karkat just looked down awkwardly. He began to assess his outfit and realized he probably didn't look too smart, what with his black skinny jeans and chains hanging from his belt, the freshly-washed black converse on his feet and the red shirt that he'd bought just for that night. He looked down awkwardly, glad he'd at least freshly dyed his hair and put his grey contacts in.

"He's not my boyfriend..." Nepeta said quietly, before hurrying into the dressing room to leave Karkat in the awkward silence.

"So, what exactly are you to Nepeta, then?" The man asked, the protective-father look in his eyes.

"Just a friend, sir." Karkat said, reminding himself to be polite and avoid swearing at all costs.

"I've never seen Nepeta give that look to anyone, young man." Nepeta's mother said, her olive eyes clouded over. "She clearly has feelings for you that are not of the platonic type so I suggest you behave like a gentleman and try making those feelings unrequited."

"I assure you, Ma'am, they aren't." Karkat said as Nepeta came back in, wearing skinny jeans and an olive blouse.

"Um, Karkat and I have to be somewhere, Mom and Dad, so we have to go-" Nepeta began before she was cut off.

"Where?"

The awkward silence ensued.

"I'm taking her out to dinner in town, a congratulatory meal." Karkat said, smiling.

"Oh, well, enjoy yourselves then." Nepeta's mother said as the pair hurried off.


	4. Chapter 4

Karkat woke up on a bed, wearing nothing but his underwear and a look that told anyone watching he had a hangover. He was about to roll over when he realized the sleeping body on his chest. Nepeta lay there, wearing his shirt and a pair of pajama shorts, smiling in her sleep. For a while, Karkat didn't dare move a muscle for fear of rousing her from such a peaceful sleep. But, when her face creased in fear and she began to whimper, Karkat saw it as his job to intervene.

"Nep?"

The girl woke up, sleepy olive eyes watery and a look of slight hangover on her face as well. Slowly, her cloudy eyes cleared and she gasped, seeing Karkat before her. His red eyes must've been all but glowing in the pale sunlight and he blushed, realizing she'd probably never seen his real eyes.

"Your eyes..." Nepeta began, her olive eyes wide.

"I know, they're a fucking mess-"

"They're all puffy. Have mew been crying?"

Karkat gave her an odd look. She hadn't questioned him about the odd colouring but instead that it looked like he had been crying? Confused, he sat up and gave her an odd look, not sure how to go on. This girl had seemed to overlook his flaws and he wasn't sure what to say.

"No. But... You're not weirded out by the fucking retarded colour?" Karkat asked.

"Mew are really silly, mew know that?" Nepeta giggled, confusing Karkat further.

"The fuck?"

"I knew mew were albino when I met mew since mew're so pale. Your hair had white roots and nobody has eyes that colour naturally." Nepeta giggled, "But being difurrent is what makes mew and I special, right?"

Karkat felt another smile creep onto his face and he realized that his smiles weren't so rare anymore. Not since he'd been round Nepeta. Just three days and he felt like he knew her better than anyone else, even though he knew so little. And what did she know about him? He rode a motorcycle (an old Harley Sprint, to be exact), that he worked in a coffee store, that he was albino and didn't have an overly large amount of money keeping him afloat in the Big Apple.

So, as Karkat pulled Nepeta in for a hug, he felt his heart beat just that little faster as a faint memory came into his mind. It was one from when he was sixteen and he'd asked his older sister what loving someone in a romantic way was like. He'd thought he was in love with a girl named Jade but their romance had been short lived at best. However, he'd liked her enough to bring up the question to his eighteen year-old sister, Kanaya.

"Love is a chemical reaction, little brother." Kanaya had said above the hum of her sewing machine.

"And you think that about your fucking girlfriend?" Karkat had growled, eyes in slits as his temper flared. Only his sister wouldn't give direct answers about something so important and basic. He hadn't known, at that time, that love was complicated as clockwork...

"No." Kanaya said, turning off her sewing machine, proving she meant business. "Love is looking at her and your heart thudding in your chest, your pupils dilating and something of a shining halo appearing around their head. It is the feeling of your blood rushing faster and warmer in your veins, their eyes like pools of glitter in sunlight, their smile like your addiction. Their touch sets your heart into overdrive and warms your soul, bringing you into the sweetest euphoria and setting your mind into motion. Leaving them, it's the hardest task in the world and even when they're not there, they will stay in your mind like the sweetest photo. You feel like life without them... It just simply cannot exist. You become friends, lovers and hold a bond that's the hardest to break. When you feel all of this about one person, you know that you love someone. They are the one."

Karkat pushed Nepeta from him, holding onto her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. She was sat on her knees, alike him, and Karkat found himself looking into her olive pools. They weren't like pools of glitter, more like lush greenery in the forests after a rain shower. He could feel himself getting lost in them as he got closer to Nepeta. She copied until their foreheads were pressed together, looking deep into the eyes of one another.

Slowly, their lips came together and their eyes closed, the proverbial sparks blinding them. Their lips melded perfectly, the perfect fit as their bodies came closer and pressed against each other. Like a jigsaw piece, they matched perfectly and Karkat smiled in the kiss, knowing that the moment was pure perfection. He was a little older than her, clearly more experienced and when he pulled away, the pair blushed. He couldn't lie, her lips were clearly inexperienced in comparison to his, but she seemed to have natural skill. She truly was flawless.

"Nepeta..." Karkat began but Nepeta shushed him as she kissed him again, showing him that his feelings surely weren't unrequited. It was like she had craved the feelings he had shown and wanted it again, over and over.

It was evident that they had found something special. Something pure and near perfect, filled with sweet passion and gentle love. He was too far gone to turn away and held her close when the kiss broke. Karkat smiled, showing himself that it was right. Nothing would change his mind about this feeling. She had consumed his thoughts and his heart beat quickly, his racing pulse equal to hers. It was sweet perfection.

"We know so little about each other, though." Nepeta said, frowning slightly.

"I'm Karkat Vantas, no middle name. My birthday is the 12th of June and I am currently twenty. I have an allergy to dogs so much prefer cats and an older sister who is a lesbian. When I was twelve I was bullied to the point of depression but I have quite clearly recovered, so don't give me any of that pity shit. I'm a shitty person with a fucking attitude from hell and if you smile, you are one lucky fucker. My favorite food is probably cherry pie and I enjoy getting drunk every now and then." Karkat said quickly, hoping to fix that.

"I'm Nepeta May Leijon and I do have a middle name." Nepeta giggled before continuing. "My birthday is the 25th of May and I'm seventeen. I have an older brother who is twenty-two and has a fiance, who happens to be really nice. I've done ballet since I was three but when I was nine, I was in a car accident that near broke my spine. I was told I could never dance again but now I'm pretty decent. I love using cat puns and my favorite food is probably sushi. And last week, I saw a man through the glass window of a coffee shop and my head told me that he was special. So I followed my head and here I am."

Smiling, Karkat cuddled her, lying down beside her. He learnt a good many things very quickly and now, he was happy to say that he was more proud of her than anyone he'd ever known. Nepeta had been told she could never dance again and yet, she was flawless and one of the best in the country. If anyone could beat her, Karkat would have had to congratulate them. And she'd told him that he was special. He smiled as he began to play with her messy hair.

"So, where do we go from here?" Karkat asked before suggesting, "Because a relationship sounds quite proper."

"It does indeed. Though mew should really furaise things better." Nepeta giggled.

"Fine then! Nepeta fucking Leijon, will you be my girlfriend?!" Karkat yelled in a humorous way whilst tickling her.

"Yes!" She squealed, grinning and laughing, a melody to his ears.


	5. Chapter 5

It was Monday when Sollux came by. Nepeta was doing another recital in another part of the city so she wasn't gonna get back until later on, leaving Karkat feeling somewhat lonesome. Her smiling face wasn't around to keep him company, so apparently Sollux's goofy grin was around as a replacement. A fucking poor replacement.

"Tho..." Sollux said, grinning as Karkat handed his best-friend a drink made of little more than honey and water.

"What?" Karkat growled, grimacing.

"Don't play dumb, KK. Who wath the girl you've been thcrewing all weekend?" Sollux asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What the actual fuck?" Karkat asked, his eyes wide mixed in a look of repulsion and anger.

Sollux had... a way with words. He was generally grumpy but when he'd been around his girlfriend for a while, he became a sassy prick who thought he knew everything. Normally it was amusing and made Karkat laugh, if only a little. But today, when Nepeta wasn't around after their weekend of movies and cuddling, Karkat just wasn't in the mood."Hey, I'm not judging you, KK. I wanna thank you for giving me and FF tho much time together." Sollux said, wiggling his eyebrows again.

"Too much fucking information." Karkat muttered, going back to the counter to make some cups of coffee to go.

His best-friend... Sollux... The two had a history of friendship. It had started in the first week of High School when Computer Management had been compulsory. Karkat had a way with computers. In other words, he touched them and them just seemed to love the idea of exploding before his very eyes. However, he'd quickly befriended Sollux who had helped Karkat out of his hopeless state. He'd made it out of that class with a C, which was still pretty decent. But, their friendship had lasted much longer.

There was something about the freakazoid that Karkat couldn't help but like. The guy had brown-hair that stuck up in every other direction, much like he'd electrocuted himself a few too many times. Eyes that were red and blue (Karkat felt slightly gay for admitting he'd looked into the guys eyes a few times) and a grin with those fangs that made him look so goofy. The guy was pretty extra-ordinary, though. He had a lisp (a "lithp", in the words of "Thollux") but he had natural charisma. The guy was pretty great though.

"Tho..." Sollux laughed, "Who wath the lucky chick?"

"Right. First of all, fuckass, the girl is my girlfriend and I like her a hell of a lot so don't try and fuck this up for me. Secondly, we didn't fuck. At all. We're pretty chilled and we just slept and watched movies. Thirdly, her name's Nepeta Leijon." Karkat said, his voice raising in volume.

At that very moment, Karkat wished he could've recorded it all. The way Sollux's jaw dropped and his eyes all but bulged out of their sockets behind his 3-D effect glasses. Karkat actually laughed at his friend before carrying on with the coffees and handing to the swooning females. Shaking his head, he walked back to his gob-smacked friend.

"Ath in... FF'th betht friend? The ballerina with the cat-punth and the'th actually quite cute?" Sollux asked, his eyes wide still. The last bit infuriated Karkat for a second before he calmed himself down by remembering that Sollux was more than happy with Feferi. It seemed odd, his goofy best friend dating a model who spent half of her time being adorned in beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry.

"Yes." Karkat said as he began pouring a girl some coffee.

"KARKAT!"

The familiar voice made Karkat shudder, his blood running cold and his heartbeat rolling to a halt. Slowly, he turned to see a familiar face but wishing he couldn't see it. Standing there, in a short dress that showed off her long legs and very nearly some underwear, was Terezi Pyrope. His ex.

"Terezi?" Karkat and Sollux said at the same time, their eyes wide. Her hair was shorter now, her teal eyes wide and her glasses had disappeared from their normal perch upon her nose.

"Karkat, Sollux. How you both doing? So good to see you both!" Terezi laughed, grinning as she emphasized the word "seeing"

"Where are your glasses?" Karkat gasped.

"I got some surgery and look at me!" Terezi giggled. "Like it?"

Karkat gulped, turning to the girl who had ordered the coffee just a few seconds before. The girl had long, black hair and bright, cobalt eyes. In a way, she looked attractive and even Terezi dimmed in comparison, but not Nepeta. Karkat turned away, cleaning up a few mugs that had been used earlier and began to think about Nepeta.

"Karkles! I was talking to you!" Terezi squealed as she bent over the bar, showing him all the cleavage that he'd seen before. It was a trashy act and if Terezi had been attempting to capture his eye again, it wasn't working. Not one little bit. He was happy with Nepeta and she was the apple of his eye, the one who had captured her heart with her eyes.

"And I don't give a fuck." Karkat all but snarled.

"But Kaaaaarkat..." Terezi moaned, a sound that was supposed to be seductive. "I was hoping we could have a little fun toniiiiiight..."

Karkat was readying himself to yell at her when Sollux finally interfered. The guy was a major lifesaver, even if he could be a bit of a douche at times, even if he acted like a total prick...

"TZ, you may athwell jutht go. KK hath a girlfriend now and he'th happy with her." Sollux intervened before getting back to his mug of honey.

The look on Terezi's face was pure gold, that look of shock or surprise as she had her eyes wide. Her jaw hung open and she stared at Karkat like everything Sollux had just said was a complete lie. In her crazy, twisted mind, she had probably conceived the idea that Sollux was lying and the idea filled Karkat with amazing hatred. He hated her for cheating on him with some pompous prick that worked as a DJ. The guy was probably a total hipster, swishy hair and wearing those "totally indie" shades that everyone had developed an addiction for.

"Really? Oh my god, that's totally new!" Terezi squeaked, bursting out in laughter. "Come on, tell the truth."

"That was the fucking truth, Terezi. Now get the fuck out." Karkat said with a surprisingly calm tone to his voice. Terezi's eyes were wide open and she just looked at Karkat, unsure what to do next. She looked thoroughly stunned, like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard. But, the words that had casually tumbled from Karkat's lips had been the whole truth so he just looked at Terezi, mimicking her stares.

Then, she turned around and walked away on the stiletto heels that made her outfit seem only worse. Karkat didn't dare watch her flounce away, her hips shaking left and right in a hopelessly foolish attempt to attract him to her in some way. In fact, Karkat barely noticed as the girl, that he'd given the coffee to only minutes before, follow Terezi out the door and into the busy crowd of Suburban animals that walked the busy streets of New York.


	6. Chapter 6

Thursday was Karkat's day off and he found himself on the Subway, sat beside Nepeta as they were transported to the closest station to Central Park. Karkat himself had never been there but he'd memorized the route and was pretty sure he'd find the lush greenery through the urban sprawl, it couldn't be hard to find green in a city of grey, right?

The pair clambered off the subway, hand-in-hand as they pushed through the throngs of busy shoppers. November was fast approaching and it seemed the world was desperate to find the best Halloween costume and cover their shaking bodies with warm, fur-lined parkas. However, Karkat wasn't so interested in those trivial matters; things so simple as those paled in comparrsion to him keeping Nepeta happy.

"Ow!" Nepeta yelped as a guy barreled straight past her, his body smashing into her right shoulder.

"Hey! Insolent prick, watch where the fuck your going!" Karkat yelled at the man, causing him to turn around and stare with flashing red eyes. Well, apparently there was more than one albino in New York. Karkat would've said the man didn't care if he showed it since the guy had near white hair but the black shades hovering on his nose were clearly to disguise the oddly coloured irises.

"Karkat, come on." Nepeta said, smiling sweetly. "It doesn't matter and we're nearly there meow!"

Within two blocks, they happened upon the lush greenery that was Central Park. It was so beautiful, a place hidden among concrete towers and metal cars, writhing along the streets, each with the purpose and intent of escaping the other. Karkat had always wanted to go to Central Park since he'd first come to New York City but he'd never really had the chance. Other attractions like clubs, shops and bars, they'd always pulled him in first and though he didn't much care for them, they had distracted him from his original purpose.

"It's so purretty!" Nepeta exclaimed, her bright olive eyes searching the forest as though looking for something.

The pair wandered along a paved path, coming in front of a fountain. Running around it were two little children, squealing and laughing as they grabbed at each other's coats. They giggled and laughed, running around and yelling at each other, trying to provoke the "tagger" to come and grab them already. Nepeta was near grinning at the little kids, their joy and excitement was infectious and Karkat looked at her, thinking. This girl was perfect and he already thought the world of her.

The two sat down on a bench, Nepeta leaning into his body as she smoothed out her lacy skater-skirt. It was strange, the way they were so comfortable with each other even though they'd only known each other for such a short time. Karkat kissed her hair just as a girl walked over, donning clothing that Nepeta had typically called "Harajuku" and the girl grinned. She had deep auburn hair and the girl's general appearance told him she was probably Japanese or maybe Korean.

"Nepeta Leijon, right?" The girl asked, grinning.

"That's purrect. Hi!" Nepeta chirped, smiling kindly.

"I was just wondering if I could have your autograph? I watched your recital a few nights ago and thought you were amazing!" The girl giggled, handing Nepeta a picture of herself and a pen.

"And mew is this too?" Nepeta purred, asking the girl.

"Aradia Megido." The girl giggled with a light grin.

By the time it was three o'clock, the pair were about to leave when Karkat's phone rang. He looked at the caller I.D. but didn't recognize the number, other than the fact it was coming from a payphone somewhere within the city. So, he gingerly slid the lock across, answering the call.

"Karkles?"

Karkat very nearly put the phone down then, not wanting any sort of conversation with the woman who spoke to him. Yet, there was something in her voice, it was strained like she'd been crying for a prolonged period of time and she choked off the end of her sentence. That was what kept Karkat on the line.

"Terezi?" Karkat asked as Nepeta gave him a questioning look. "Why are you calling me?"

There was no reply.

"Fucking hell, Terezi! Why are you calling me?!" Karkat yelled into his phone, attracting the attention of several passers-by.

"Is that any way to speak to the mother of your unborn child?"

Karkat felt his jaw drop and eyes bulge as he fell back, sitting on the bench he and Nepeta had just a few moments before. His eyes glazed over and he gulped before saying, "What?" though it was little more than a gasp.

"I'm pregnant, Karkat."

Unable to say anything, Karkat just gulped and stared at a group of small children near the fountain in horror. Terezi was pregnant? How was it possible that the kid was his?! He'd taken great care to be safe and Karkat was completely stunned by the idea of him somehow managing to impregnate her. He'd always been so careful with her, being as safe as he could possibly be. How was it even remotely possible. It had been nearly two months since they had last had sex...

"A-are you sure?" Karkat asked, his voice as quiet as a whisper.

"Karkat, I'm pretty sure considering my cycle has all but rolled to a halt." Terezi said sharply, causing Karkat to wince.

He pretty much dropped the phone then, unable to hear anymore. Luckily for him, Nepeta caught the mobile and quickly put it to her ear, obviously eager to find out why Karkat's personality had pretty much died. In horror, Karkat watched as Nepeta spoke to his ex, her voice growing increasingly angry. It was a side of her he'd never seen.

"I'm sure you'd have noticed beforehand, then." Nepeta growled, her voice low and abandoning the cat puns.

"I'm two years younger and even I know that." Nepeta hissed, her eyes forming angry little slits like an angry cat.

"And I can guarantee there have been more men than just Karkat in your bed. Have you called them too?" Nepeta snarled, showing her pearly-white canines.

"Well, we'll go to the doctor tomorrow and we can sort it out there. Good. Bye!" Nepeta snapped, ending the call and tossing Karkat his phone.

Karkat sat there for a few moments, staring into his girlfriend's olive eyes. Slowly, she sat down beside him before pulling him in for a kind, warm hug. For a second Karkat sat there, motionless. Then, he warmed up and hugged her back, unsure how to go about the situation.

"What do I do, Nep?" Karkat asked, confused. "I was always really careful."

"I know you would have been. We'll sort her out tomorrow." Nepeta whispered, kissing his red nose.


	7. Chapter 7

Karkat stomped into his apartment, fuming. Pissed as hell, he slammed his bedroom door as Nepeta took her flats off beside the shoe rack. He collapsed on his bed before beating his pillow to a pulp, angered by the lies Terezi had hatched and nurtured. Yes, she was pregnant, but only two weeks and even she had seemed shocked. It had all been a set-up, a way to bring Karkat back into her clutches and away from Nepeta's warm embrace. And there was no way Karkat was the father of a two-week old child.

He felt angry and completely humiliated. He hadn't gotten a wink the night before as the thoughts of being a father had rushed around his head like a swarm of bees. He'd realized that he'd have to leave Nepeta and stay with Terezi, quit work and look after their child whilst Terezi went and played lawyer, and he'd have to marry Terezi... It had hit him like a bombshell last night and he'd all but cried into Nepeta's chest as she drifted in and out of consciousness whilst comforting him.

Cheated, angry and upset, Karkat punched the wall before collapsing against the mattress in a state of tired hatred. A sly grin crept onto his face as he thought about Terezi explaining her pregnancy to her insufferable prick of an ex, the DJ that she'd cheated on him with. Then, Nepeta came in and sat down on his bed, smiling sweetly. It was that smile that kept him from completely losing his temper and destroying his apartment out of angry hatred. It was her that kept him sane, at that very moment.

"Narrowly avoided that, right?" Nepeta said, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, I guess." Karkat said, yawning. "What a fucking bitch."

"I agree. You're too purrfect fur her anyway!" Nepeta giggled, kissing Karkat's cheek before getting up and stretching out her limbs.

Karkat watched his girlfriend, unable to believe his luck still. They'd been together almost a week and already he had fallen hard. Her honey-blonde hair had been styled into a "fishtail-plait" in her words and she wore a green and blue tartan skater skirt (she'd expressed her fondness of the skirts to Karkat since they let her move so easily) and a black sleeveless shirt that was tucked into the skirt and had a turtle-neck look without sleeves. Then, she wore tights with hearts on, sparkly black braces and a pair of black flats by his door. Her olive eyes were outlined with black "kohl" (again in her words) and made the olive irises shine even brighter.

"Karkitten?" Nepeta purred gently, smiling lightly with a peach blush on her ivory cheeks. "I hate to ask but can I practice ballet in your living room since it is so big?"

"Sure..." Karkat said, lying back down.

After about thirty minutes, Karkat all but tip-toed out of his bedroom and stood outside the living room door, peaking inside.

Nepeta had moved about all of the furniture, clearing enough space for her to be able to dance and not accidentally break something. He watched her spin repeatedly, an impressive feat since he guessed she span a good twenty times. Then, she leapt forward, performing the splits perfectly in mid-air before landing on the balls of her feet and spinning twice, her right leg stretched out before her. Perfectly graceful, she raised her leg until it was beside her head and she wasn't even holding it. She was amazing.

Then, Karkat watched as she stopped and began to cool down by doing several stretches. He wandered in quietly before wrapping his arms around her waist, nibbling gently on her neck. Nepeta gasped before letting out a quiet moan at the pure fire the nibbling set ablaze. Karkat smiled as he began to gently suck on the spot, smiling and chuckling as his girlfriend let out sweet little whimpers of ecstasy. Then, when he finally pulled away, he looked at the large purple-red spot on the left side of her neck, a mark to say she would forever be in his heart. A mark that she would see in the mirror and it would remind her of him...

"Karkat!" Nepeta gasped, looking at the bruise in her reflection.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist taking a taste of your ivory skin. You're like a desert and I can't help but want more..." Karkat admitted, gently kissing the mark he'd left.

"But... I have a show tomorrow..." Nepeta gasped, eyes wide.

"You can cover it with make-up... Right?" Karkat asked, suddenly realizing he shouldn't have marked her that way.

"I think so." Nepeta gasped, smiling with relief.

Chuckling, Karkat took her hand and pulled her to the bedroom. Then, he began to undress her. Nepeta froze before saying, "Karkat. We can't have..." Nepeta gulped, blushing. "I'll ache tomorrow and I can't have that."

"I wasn't planning on it." Karkat said with a smirk. "I'm getting you ready for bed."

Karkat handed her a shirt and lay there in his boxers, winding his arms around Nepeta as she pressed her face against her chest. That was the way they slept, a way that left them both comfortable and relaxed against one-another's bodies. He loved the way she flinched just as she was drifting off to sleep, the way she would let out a tiny snore that sounded more like a purr and the way she would whimper and moan when she had a dream.

"Karkat, I think I should tell you something." Nepeta said quietly, blushing with her eyes locked shut.

"Go on..." Karkat said sleepily, trying not to be too crabby.

"I'm a virgin, okay. You're my furst boyfuriend." Nepeta whispered, then squinted her eyes shut.

"Alright. Goodnight now, Nep." Karkat whispered, kissing her forehead.


	8. Chapter 8

The murderer looked at the guy, they'd been friends for a time but now... Now, the murderer was just disappointed. The lifeless body of his old friend lay there among the silk bedsheets, his head lying a meter or so from the rest of it's body. The chest cavity had all but exploded from the beating and one of the ribs had pierced through the skin, the blood-stained bone protruding at an awkward angle from the victim's Spanish-tan skin.

Slowly, a crooked grin crept onto the murderer's lips as the blood began to slide onto the floor. A puddle of the thick liquid had begun to pool beneath the silk bedsheets and the murderer let out a foul chuckle. Then, he pulled a post out of the bed with incredible strength and smashed it into the skull of his ex-boyfriend once more. Howling with laughter he threw the weapon away before all but skipping away, no longer caring as to who heard or saw him.

* * *

It was around midday when Karkat woke up, his phone buzzing. It was Monday and he had the day off, but his phone buzzed consistently. Grumbling a few curses beneath his breath, Karkat sat up and pulled the phone to his ear. He rubbed his eyes before pressing the answer button.

"Hell-"

"Karkat!" Nepeta cried, before a choked sob escaped her lips.

"Nepeta?" Karkat gasped, sitting bolt upright and kicking his bedsheets off. "What's wrong?"

"P-please. Come to the ballet studio... Now..." Nepeta sobbed down the phone.

Karkat ended the call and threw on his skinny jeans, pulled a jumper on then dragged on his biker boots. He drove recklessly toward the studio and when he got there, it seemed everyone was crying just as much as Nepeta had been.

Sitting on one of the steps was Nepeta, her nose rosy, her eyes puffy and a small pile of tissues beside her. Karkat ran over to her, tripping over another ballerina before pulling Nepeta into his arms. She cried even more then before kissing his neck. Slowly, Karkat took off his biker jacket and wrapped it around Nepeta's shoulders before picking her up and carrying her toward a police officer.

"What's happened here, John?"

"Oh, Karkat! Hey." John said with a sad frown.

John and Karkat had been friends since Karkat first came to New York and, well, their friendship had just been a coincidence. Karkat had been pretty drunk, John had been the nearest cop and broke up the fight between the two. It had been a crazy meeting but John and him had become close friends afterwards and this was the time that came in handy.

"Who's the lady?" John asked, tilting his head toward Nepeta.

"My girlfriend, Nepeta-"

"So you're the guys dance partner? I'm sorry for your loss." John interrupted Karkat as he spoke to Nepeta.

"What happened?" Karkat asked.

"Ballet Dancer, Tavros Nitram was murdered. Brutal too. I mean, I've seen suicide, murder and a tonne of other stuff but it was by far the worst thing I've ever seen." John gulped before inhaling. "Look, Kar, I can't give you much more than that since I'm on the case but what I can say is your girlfriend should go home and get some rest."

"Okay." Karkat said as he handed Nepeta the spare helmet he always kept for Nepeta.

Back at Nepeta's apartment, Karkat carried her into her bedroom and lay her down on the bed. Her house was oddly regal and he noticed something very feminine but strong about it. There was a carpet on the floor made to look like a polar bear and though he was near certain it was fake, Karkat noticed how realistic it looked. When two cats crept in and lay beside Nepeta, he understood that she was a fan of the creatures.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nepeta sniffed. "Meet Signless and Disciple. My two cats."

Karkat smiled, stroking the two little kittens before making Nepeta some drinks. He made her lavender tea, a drink known for it's calming, soothing qualities and a small sandwich that was heated up. When he wandered back in, Nepeta had tied her hair back and put an over-sized jumper on over some leggings. He was pretty sure he could see a bright red bra beneath but he wasn't about to point it out when she was so sad.

"Here." Karkat said, handing Nepeta her stuff. "Get some sleep. It'll relax you."

When Nepeta finally fell asleep, Karkat pulled out his phone, angrily texting a close friend of his. Gamzee hadn't texted him for a long time and now... Karkat was angry and he wanted to know what was going on with the guy. He knew all about Gamzee and Tavros and he was pretty sure that there weren't too many ballet-dancers called Tavros in NYC.

CG: I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD, IF YOU'RE NOT AWAKE I'M GONNA FLIP MY SHIT OKAY?  
CG: GAMZEE! WAKE THE FUCK UP.  
TC: WHAT MOTHERFUCKER?

Karkat looked at his phone curiously, not sure how to respond. Gamzee... Gamzee was a chronic stoner and the guy's texting skill was reflected by that. He had writing that switched from upper to lower case with every letter and it all looked rather foolish. However, this was different. This was wrong. The guy was typing in full upper case and his writing just seemed to radiate rage and hatred. Karkat gulped before continuing their conversation, somewhat more carefully now, though.

CG: ARE YOU FEELING OKAY?  
TC: WHY THE FUCK WOULDN'T I BE MOTHERFUCKER?  
CG: I JUST... HEARD IS ALL.  
TC: HEARD THE MOTHERFUCKING WHAT? HAVE THE MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS FUCKING FLOWN DOWN TO SAVE OUR SINFUL FUCKING ASSES?

Upon reading that, Karkat debated actually abandoning his phone altogether and leaving New York right there and then. Gamzee wasn't being Gamzee. Gamzee was being someone else. He didn't want to bring the subject up, he knew it would be an issue that Gamzee would react to and how he'd react to it, Karkat didn't know. Would he yell? Lose his mind? Collapse in tears? The relationship between Gamzee and Tavros had been happening for about two or three months, so it made sense that Gamzee would react like a heartbroken lover over it. After all, Gam... It seemed like Gamzee had fallen in love.

CG: ABOUT TAVROS.

The response never came, though. Instead, there was just silence. No beep from his phone to say there was a message, no buzz to tell Karkat that Gamzee had even seen the message. Instead, there was total silence in Nepeta's apartment apart from one of the cat's scratching at the door and Nepeta's quiet purring-snores.

* * *

Thank mew fur reading my fan -fiction and I think it's about time I purrt a plot in this story. So, yeah, leave a review and yeah, enjoy! :3  
Oh, and I'm so sorry fur hating on Purrezi and I am so sorry. She's not really my favourite character and I'm purry sorry fur that but I purrlan on making her a little more impurrtant now. After all, she should be a main character as well, right?  
Yeah.  
So, let's enjoy a little murpurr, a little love and a much betpurr plot line meow! :3

(If you can't read typical Nepeta writing/cat puns, just try speaking aloud and you'll understand a little better.)


	9. Chapter 9

Gamzee Makara chuckled lowly before slowly lowering his head. Gingerly, he unveiled his tongue from behind his smudged lips and he licked at the blood on his fingers. The taste was intoxicating, the idea of murder rushing through his veins like a wild animal, loose and out of control. It was better than his wicked elixir that had stained his blood-stream over the years. At the age of just twenty-two, he had committed an act of murder and when he looked around him, he grinned.

The old warehouses, abandoned vehicles, they pulsated and undulated like the sea-waves. Gamzee felt like he was looking through a kaleidoscope of colour, warehouses of red, green, pink and blues that were a dull grey to everyone else. Realizing that, the anger flared up once more like some vicious infection. Fuming, Gamzee angrily thrust his fist into the metal of an old, rusty cab.

He chuckled once more, looking at the asteroid-dent he'd left in the old metal, remembering how he'd done that to his boyfriend's chest as well. The sound of bones snapping, the harsh, ragged breaths that foretold his impending death; all were sounds that had become Gamzee's newest addiction, sounds that he had grown to love and want. And oh, how he longed to hear those sounds once again.

Then, his next victim shambled along aimlessly. A simple man, probably homeless from the worn-out look of his clothing and the long, ragged beard that swarmed around his mouth. It was an easy kill and Gamzee chuckled as he snapped the man's neck with his bare hands. A loud laugh echoed from his lips as he dropped the old man's body like a doll, the sagging body falling to the floor in a crumpled heap. It had all been so quick.

Human lives were so delicate...

Karkat Vantas was watching his girlfriend continue with her ballet practice. Her movements with the new guy were a lot more sterile and Karkat had become infuriated when he'd almost dropped her. But now, he was calming down and watching her with a smile. It had been three weeks since their relationship began and he felt himself falling hard for her.

Except, there was a nagging feeling in his stomach. Gamzee. His best-friend, the stoner, something was really wrong and Karkat knew what Gamzee had done. He knew exactly what had happened and he felt so guilty since he couldn't tell anyone at all. His girlfriend had lost someone to the hands of his best-friend and how was he supposed to tell Sollux. Sollux and Gamzee had never been on sociable terms and Sollux was the kind of guy to tell someone about that sort of stuff immediately. Like some sort of do-gooder.

Karkat knew he had to find Gamzee before it was too late. He had to get the guy, whether it meant risking his own life or not, and stop him. If he wasn't stopped, there would be a lot more death to come at the hands of his close friend.

"Nepeta, I gotta head out, okay?" Karkat said before kissing her forehead.

"Where are mew going?" Nepeta asked, eyes focused on his.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone and you won't hate me?" Karkat whispered, sparking fear in Nepeta's soul.

"Go on..." Nepeta whispered.

"I know who killed your dance partner and he's my best friend. I'm going to get him." Karkat whispered in his girlfriend's ear. "And since I'm going, I want to tell you something. I know you probably can't fucking reciprocate but I love you."

And then he ran outside to his bike. Strapping on his helmet, he put it over his head and drove off into the rush-hour traffic. It was getting dark earlier now and Karkat's mind was running wild. His beat-friend could be anywhere and there was something very wrong with him. So, with a frown, Karkat sped up his motorbike. There weren't many places that Gamzee knew so he had to start looking.

And then it came to him.

The abandoned manufacturing district was the definition of a ghost-town and Gamzee had once shown him the place. He'd said that one day he'd open up a warehouse and just sit there, painting it until it looked like a rainbow had upchucked upon it. That had been one of Gamzee's ideas to make the world a better place. "Colour is our motherfucking life force, bro." Gamzee had laughed before downing some more 'Faygo', an alcoholic drink that was potent as vodka but sweet as syrup. If he wanted to relax and hide anywhere, it was in the place he wanted to change most.

In his twisted mind, that was the place Gamzee would go to try and change it all. Including himself.

So, he sped up his motorbike even more, his eagerness getting ahead of him. Karkat had always been the type of person who liked to help others, especially his friends. He'd always been the type that was a leader, the Alpha-Wolf of sorts. But helping people was something he enjoyed, he'd always been the type that was oddly kind considering his crabbiness. Charitable, helpful, etc; words that described him but surprised most.

He was so caught up, thinking, that he never saw the approaching truck.


	10. Chapter 10

Nepeta felt the tears fall as she walked through the streets, walking away from the hospital and to her brother's apartment. Karkat, her sweet, lovely boyfriend, was in a critical condition in the hospital. Sure, he was cranky and most would beg to differ that he was sweet but in her eyes he was like an angel. And now, her angel was fighting for his life in a bed, a machine on his side to keep him alive and his heart beating.

The truck hadn't killed him, thank god, but he was severely injured and it was a miracle he wasn't dead. The hospital had checked through his phone and when they came across the texts he'd sent her, they guessed they ought call her. So, she'd sat in the hospital for a few hours before realizing that she needed to get changed, take a shower and get some real food down her protein-chute.

Slowly, she looked down and looked at the phone in her hand. Karkat's iPhone 5 had a smashed screen that was covered in scratches but it still worked well. She unlocked it, typing in her name as the password. It worked. Slowly, she flicked through the phonebook until she came to the entry she needed. It read 'My fucking retard of a Sister'.

She rang the number.

"Hello?" A woman asked, her voice holding a perfect British accent.

"Are you..." Nepeta sniffed, "Karkat's sister?"

"Karkat is my younger sibling, yes. May I inquire as to whom this is and why you're in possession of my Brother's mobile?" The woman said, her accent the stereotypical Londoner accent.

"I'm Nepeta..." Nepeta gulped. "Karkat's girlfriend..."

"I thought it might be. He said you have that New York accent that sounds faintly Russian. But, he mentioned something about 'cat-puns' or the like?" She said, her voice somewhat lighter than it had been previously.

"He's spoken about me?" Nepeta gasped, a faint smile lacing her lips like she'd came across a sweet note or a ray of hope.

"Several times. He may not seem the sentimental type," The woman chuckled, a high-pitched melodic sound, "but he and I have a good relationship for siblings."

"Oh. May I ask your name?" Nepeta asked.

"Kanaya. Kanaya Maryam." The woman said in a rather formal tone.

"Okay. Can I ask where you live?" Nepeta said quietly.

"Washington DC. May I inquire as to why you require such information rather than asking my brother?" Kanaya asked, sounding somewhat suspicious.

"I need you to come to New York City. Karkat... He was in an accident and he's in hospital. Critical. I love him to pieces and I need you to be here and help me take care of him when he wakes up. I can't just quit my job and stay by his side every day, hoping he'll wake up. He'd want you with him." Nepeta said, crying.

Nepeta poured out her heart to Kanaya and was walking through the industrial estate when she finally put down the phone. Kanaya had been somewhat panicked but was far more collected than Nepeta had been when she'd first been told. They had decided on the option that Kanaya and her girlfriend, Rose, were both going to stay at Nepeta's home for a while in New York and when Nepeta had to perform or practice, Kanaya would be in the hospital so that when Karkat finally awoke, he wouldn't be alone.

Nepeta slid her phone into her jacket pocket and sighed. Her mascara was running down her cheeks and she probably looked like death after skinny-dipping in the sea of misery and sadness, but she had stopped caring about her appearance. All she wanted was Karkat, her love to be okay. He'd left telling her the three words that were so important in a relationship, the three words that meant the world to her. And she hadn't even been able to reciprocate it. He could... No. She refused to think that he could die... Without hearing her lips tell him that she loved him.

"Motherfucking Miracles!"

Nepeta jumped, turning to look around. She was in the old residential district of New York, a place filled with old grey apartments that had been abandoned years ago. The only tenants were the homeless and the criminals. Everybody else had left, knowing that other places offered much brighter horizons. But what she'd heard was the yell of a mad-man. A psychotic smoker with a voice as rough as sandpaper. It was oddly familiar, though Nepeta struggled to recall it correctly.

Slowly, she pulled her hands out of her pockets and looked at her freshly-manicured nails, how they were sharp and slightly pointed. Like claws, she thought as a small smile illuminated her face. Slowly, she crept through the street when she saw him. A man, probably around 6'4" in height, a full foot above her height. His jacket was covered in blood and his face was painted with the same liquid. And when he stared into her eyes, she understood it all.

"Let me go! I only came to see my Motherfucking Tavbro." The guy chuckled, his voice rough and harsh on the ears.

Nepeta watched from behind her best-friend and dance-partner, watching as the drunken, drug-fueled man was pulled from the dance studio by two burly-looking security guards dragged the guy away. He was young, his facial features barely paying the price of the drugs, alcohol and hell that he put into his system. Tall, gangly like he was still a teen and not yet past that awkward stage in his life. But, he was certainly as old as Tavros, wearing such expensive clothing. The silver chain around his neck and the shirt didn't look like the cheap stuff you came across in a market hall.

"Sir, please calm down."

"I will not fucking calm down, motherfucker." The man chuckled darkly, "I came here to congratulate my boyfriend."

After that, Tavros had made it clear that he was gay. Most everyone supported it, that didn't change who he was or what he was like, it was just something about him that made Tavros himself. Without it, he wasn't Tavros... But nobody respected his choice in a boyfriend and Nepeta had placed it in the back of her mind. Until that moment.

"Well, look who motherfucking showed up." The guy laughed darkly, his voice deep and filled with something like hatred.

Or insanity.

* * *

Boss Battle Time ;D

Yeah, so, I decided that it's about time I left it on a cliff-hanger last time and today I thought, "WhY tHe MoThErFuCk NoT?" so yes, enjoy the cliffhangers ;)

And I got a tonne of inspiration for this story from three places:  
~The comic of Batman since I wanted to make Gamzee like the Joker from it; a little weird, a lot insane! :D  
~The Splendor Falls since I wanted Nepeta to seem all nice and light like a ballerina and I know very little about ballet xD  
~ My real life since I actually met my boyfriend in a coffee shop and he's the grumpiest guy I know... ;)

So yeah, I haven't copied it from anywhere since I actually got accused of it on my tumblr and I just sort of sat there like "0.o lol wut?"


	11. Chapter 11

Nepeta felt the fear clamber up her spine when she saw him, no, it. The person before her was Tavros' boyfriend, his ex at least. Nepeta remembered the day that she had first seen the guy, drunk and stumbling into the backstage area. Even now, she felt the same amount of fear. But, this time there was a knife in his hand.

"It was you." Nepeta gasped, staring at the man before her.

"You all up and motherfucking realized?" The man chortled before coughing, the sound of a smoker, "Gamzee Motherfucking Makara."

Nepeta gulped, holding back her cry of fear as she thought about the person before her. He had a knife, a jacket on his body that was stained with blood and a manic grin that screamed psychopath. Behind her back, Nepeta quickly typed a message on her phone to her brother, Equius. If anyone would know what to do in that moment, it was him. And he would call the police. Equius would keep her safe. After all, he'd promised that all those years ago.

"You're Karkat's motherfucking bitch, right?" The man chuckled deeply, knocking Nepeta off guard.

"Who the hell are you?" Nepeta asked, her anger rising slightly.

"Me?" Gamzee Makara laughed loudly, a sound that reverberated through Nepeta's ears. "I'm Karbro's motherfucking best friend."

"No way." Nepeta hissed. "Bullshit."

Gamzee chuckled then, taking a few long strides closer to Nepeta, narrowing the rift between them both. Nepeta caught a whiff of his stench; alcohol, drugs and sweat. Holding back a retching sound, Nepeta took a deep breath and pressed send to the message she'd been typing. Then, putting the iPhone back in her pocket, Nepeta took a step toward Gamzee.

The look on his face was surprised. Surprised his prey had taken yet another step closer to him. And then, Nepeta watched as he threw the knife.

It had plenty of force, enough to knock out a fully grown man but Nepeta had flawless reflexes. Within milliseconds she was out of the way and the knife flew straight past her face, scratching her shoulder slightly and ripping the material of her jacket. But she didn't care.

At that moment, Nepeta leapt forward and onto him, catching the guy off guard. He flew back into a wall, his head smashing against the floor as his spine made a deafening crack sound. Then, a fist flew into her chest. Her breath left her body. Nepeta gasped for air as her useless body was tossed off Gamzee's body. She looked at him as he stood up and walked over to her.

Once. Twice. Three times. Nine... He stamped on her stomach until she stopped moving, feeling the world start to go black as her eyes shuttered closed. No. She wasn't about to lose the fight. She was fighting for Tavros and this psychopath needed to be stopped. She wasn't about to lose a fight.

As his military boots were about to crash down onto her abdomen, Nepeta grabbed a hold of his other foot and pulled. Hard. Gamzee let out a furious howl as he lost balance and collapsed in a heap of perspiration and alcohol near to her. With one quick movement, Nepeta was on top of him and punching him in the face repeatedly. Every hit to his face left a deep purple bruise begin to rise on his chalky face. Every new bruise spurred Nepeta onward.

"You." Nepeta gasped. "Fucking." She coughed. "Monster!"

And then there were a pair of strong arms pulling her off the body of Gamzee, pulling her into a hug. Nepeta looked up to see her older brother's face, somewhat disgusted but more angry than anything else. Her overprotective brother pulled her away and toward the police.

Nepeta looked at the officer as he handed her a mug of hot coffee. It tasted gross, nothing like the drinks Karkat made. Vile and it sickened her tastebuds that she was actually drinking it. Around her was a warm blanket and her brother's arm as he spoke to the officer.

"He threw a knife at me." Nepeta said, her voice devoid of any emotion. "He killed Tavros and tried to kill me."

The officer gave Nepeta a mortified look and she soon realized him to be Karkat's friend. John, or something like that? Either way, she recognized him and the look of shock and horror on his face made Nepeta realize that he knew her as well.

"Are you okay, Nepeta?" Officer John asked.

"Can I see Karkat now?"

* * *

So very rushed and so little ;.;

I hadn't got the guts to kill off my sweet little Nepeta so she's very much alive and well but now we get to the more interesting bits. Sorry I haven't written for ages, school cught up, boyfriends and friends, blah blah bluh. Anywho, I'll try and write more often ;.;


	12. Chapter 12

Karkat opened his eyes groggily, thanking whatever god there was out there that the lights were dim enough to not hurt his sore eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, though no sound came and his lips cracked, sore from the lack of moisture. His dry tongue licked his lips, praying that it would do something, but it was hardly a god-send. One miracle a fucking day, Karkat thought as he looked around with tired eyes.

He quickly gathered the information that he was in a hospital, the sterile white room and quiet beeping of a heart-monitor confirming that for him. One a table across the room were a bouquet of roses shone the brightest and most vibrant red he had ever seen, flowers that rivaled the beauty of the goddess beside him.

Her black hair flowed messily over the bed, her face pressed against the cotton sheets and facing Karkat whilst she slept. From her peach lips, a quiet purr of a snore escaped every now and again, making Karkat chuckle blandly, a dry, rough and raspy sound. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans and an olive camisole, adding to the effortless-tired look that she wore on her face. Karkat felt worry rise up in his throat as he looked at her properly. She looked paler than usual, black shadows appearing beneath her shuttered eyes and her whole body made her look like she'd lost a weight. Not to mention her shirt had risen up slightly to reveal worrying, dark bruises and a deep gash on her shoulder that looked like it was scarring were all new to him.

Then, someone walked in. The dim lighting showed only a little of the figures of the two people but Karkat heard their gasps clearly as crystal. One was male, somebody he didn't recognize but had a strong, bulky build like that of a wrestler or someone who liked body-building way too much. The second, however, was a girl... No, woman, he hadn't seen for a couple of years now. Kanaya, his older sister looked completely stunned and a tiny smile crept onto his lips. Kanaya had never been the type to react like that but there she was, stunned to her very core.

"Karkat!" Kanaya gasped, tears cascading down her cheeks as she ran to him and embraced her younger brother in rib-shattering hugs. Karkat coughed, forgetting his sister was stronger than he thought and that the hugs caused him great pain in his actual ribs. Ironic.

"Kanaya, he has two broken ribs. I ask that you refrain from embracing your sibling so vigorously till he is healed." The bulky guy said, coming more into view. He had long-ish hair that had been gelled back and out of his face. Karkat was about to make some smart remark or just flip the guy off when he saw the man walk over to Nepeta. Then, furious protectiveness came over Karkat as he picked her up.

"Where the fuck do you think you're taking Nepeta?!" Karkat all but snarled.

"I understand that you're disoriented but I ask you refrain from using such language whilst in the presence of my sibling or I." The man said, holding Nepeta carefully before carrying her out of the room. "I'm going to find her somewhere appropriate to sleep whilst you and your own sibling share a moment."

Karkat nodded, silently thanking the man he recalled was called Equius. Nepeta had always spoken about her brother in awe but hell, Karkat had thought the guy would be a lot different. Not that rugby-player of a guy that had just carried Nepeta out of the room as if she had weighed less than paper. She was light but not that light, jesus.

"Do you remember what happened, Karkat?" Kanaya asked, retrieving Karkat's wandering mind.

"Uh... I was out looking for Gamzee and I got hit by a truck, I think. Could've been a car but it packed a fucking punch." Karkat hissed before his eyes shot open.

Gamzee. The guy was still out there and probably even more berserk than before. Shit, the guy had probably lost it completely and killed numerous other random victims. And if the cops hadn't shot him down yet, he was still wandering alleyways looking for either drugs or another victim since Karkat hadn't been able to handle the guy. Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!

"You mean the stoner who killed Tavros? I remember you talking about him before. Why were you looking for him?" Kanaya asked calmly, composing herself as she smoothed out her pencil skirt.

"He killed Tavros and I was gonna stop him from-" Karkat stopped when he realized what his sister had said. "Wait. You know he killed Tavros?"

"The police caught him. He was about to murder a young girl but she went crazy on him, beat him black and blue and basically kept him down till the police arrived." Kanaya said, smiling slightly. "It was all over the news and the media said he was suffering with all sorts of mental illnesses; Schizophrenia, Bipolar-syndrome and Clinical depression being only a few of them."

Karkat felt his blood boil momentarily. Yeah, what Gamzee had done was wrong on a psychotic level but the guy had been beaten up by a girl too. Public humiliation probably wasn't helping the guy either. Damn, if only Karkat had gotten there and not crashed his bike. If only he hadn't let there nearly be another victim. If only he had been with the guy in the beginning and calmed him down. If only he'd payed attention.

"You should be proud." Kanaya said with that motherly tone.

"Proud of what?" Karkat asked, his crabby face contorted in an expression somewhere between pain and confusion.

"Your girlfriend, Nepeta." Kanaya said warmly,"Not only did she get me and Rose here in New York but she was the one to take down Gamzee and get him arrested."

Karkat gulped, unsure how to continue. What the hell was Kanaya on about? Nepeta was one of weak, innocent girls who were so gentle they probably couldn't hurt a butterfly. She was so sweet and gentle. But then, Karkat remembered the gash in her shoulder and the bruises over her abdomen. Could it be possible?

* * *

And back to the more regular updates. :33

This story is no way near finished yet but hey, we haven't seen the whole of it yet. Get ready for Terezi to return with a vengeance for Nepeta, Vriska to make an entrance and Eridan to worm his way into all this. And then, we have to wait and see if Nepeta is actually "okay".  
I'm being mean now with all the possible plots and cliffhangers *insert magical gif here*

But yeah, if you liked feel free to leave a comment and I'm gonna be fabulous and hook this up to my tumblr *insert fandom blogger gif here*

If you want to be cool and follow: .com  
And if you want to be a fabulous fandomer (I don't know what that means but hai) leave a lovely little reviewy thing. I love reading them :33

Apologies for the horrid spaces, I may have broken my laptop keys...  
Excuse the random updates too...  
Love you all :33


	13. Chapter 13

It had been a month since Karkat had woken up and there he was, sitting in his shitty apartment on Christmas day, looking outside at the snow falling and waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. He'd never actually celebrated Christmas in New York, even though this was his third. But then again, he had never had any family or someone special to share it with.

So, there he sat, sitting on the sofa and flicking through the shitty array of Christmas movies that were playing on TV. Sighing, Karkat got up and got dressed, putting on a pair of grey skinny jeans and a black shirt with a red tie. Hell, he had to put in some sort of effort for the day and this was the closest he got to looking smart.

When he walked back into the living room, Karkat took a moment to marvel over the decorations he'd bought and put up. The tree had been a gift from Sollux since the techie had bought one that had controllable lights or something, so Karkat had a green tree with fibre-optic gold lights on it here and there. The thing was decorated in gold tinsel, then red and green baubles. He'd bought them that way because not only were they the Christmas colours; they were Karkat and Nepeta's favorite colours as well. Then, he'd sprayed this fake snow stuff on the corners of the windows to look prettier and their were lights everywhere.

It was overly festive and too cheery, but it was for Nepeta. She'd been so down after the fight with Gamzee and about two weeks ago she'd expressed her love of Christmas and the hope that it would make her feel a bit better. So, he'd made it all a bit more over-the-top in the hope that she would cheer up.

At that very moment, the apartment buzzer went off. Karkat sprinted to it before picking it up and saying, "hello?"

"Hi Karkat! It's Nepeta! Can I come in?" Nepeta mewed through the speaker.

No sooner had Karkat buzzed her in was Nepeta up the stairs and in Karkat's arms, kissing him lovingly. They had been a lot more passionate recently, the occurrence involving Gamzee bringing them even closer together. So, there they were, hugging and kissing as they held on tight to one another and kissed once more before falling apart, gasping for breath.

"My older brother said he'll pick us up in an hour in his car. Then, mew can come to my purrents for dinner!" Nepeta giggled.

"Huh?" Karkat asked, confused.

"My purrents said they like mew and my whole family is gonna be there! So, do mew maybe wanna come with me?" Nepeta asked, "Karkitty! Mew made the place all purretty!"

Karkat chuckled, knowing full well that Nepeta was happy with the Christmas decorations. So, he walked over to the Christmas tree and pulled out a box from beneath it. It was only small and wrapped in olive shiny paper, but he prayed she would love it. So, with a smile, he handed her the box.

"Is this fur me?" Nepeta gasped.

"No, it's for your fucking brother. Of course it fucking is." Karkat snapped.

"Silly." Nepeta chuckled as she opened the box. He watched as she ripped away the shiny paper and opened the box. Then, he watched her eyes glow in shock as tears made her eyes glimmer and she sniffed. Karkat felt his heart pump as he wondered if he'd done something wrong. Had he?

"Nepeta?"

"It's beautiful... Karkat..." Nepeta mewed happpily.

And so, he helped her put on the gift he'd bought her. It was a necklace that costed the same amount as his rent every month and yet he'd managed to borrow money from Kanaya to buy it. Silver with a diamond paw-print on the front of the necklace. It was beautiful and Karkat knew that, so he'd bought it her and had the words "i love you" engraved on the back. It was perfect for her.

"Hello again, Karkat. I hope you recovered well from your accident."

"Thank you, Mrs Leijon, I did." Karkat said as Nepeta's mother pulled him into a hug.

"I'm very glad. And, please, call me Tabitha." Mrs Leijon said, smiling as she pulled away and straightened out her skirt. "Now, Nepeta, you will beside Equius and Karkat, you will be opposite Nepeta by her cousin."

So, Karkat walked into a large dining room with Nepeta holding his hand. He recognized Equius immediately, noticing that the guy had dressed up similarly to Karkat himself. Skinny jeans, blue shirt and even a Smoker jacket with a bow tie. He looked much more formal than he had the first time the pair had met. Then again, Karkat had been dressed in a Hospital-gown so that made things a little more obvious.

So, with that in his mind, Karkat sat down next to who he presumed was Nepeta's cousin. The girl looked nothing like Nepeta, donning large hipster glasses and she had eyes a bright, cobalt blue. Not to mention the long black hair that cascaded over her breasts and probably reached her navel. She wore a white dress that reminded Karkat of something... That fairy or whatever from Peter Pan. Maybe. But she looked tall. Taller that Nepeta by a lot and probably taller than Karkat.

As Karkat finished his meal, a man handed him a glass of wine and the female beside him some.

"So, you're the lover of my sweet little cousin, Nepeta. Right?" The girl beside him asked with a smile.

Karkat looked at the girl and felt as though he should've recognized her. That smile she wore made her look sly as a fox but it looked oddly sexual too. Perfectly straight, glimmering white teeth, skin that had a faint tan but showed she had spent time somewhere other than New York. Not to mention she had an accent, maybe that of a Canadian or something. Not to mention her facial features were all sharp and defined, like a model or something. Nothing like Nepeta's rounded, smoother features that looked kinder to her face.

"I'm Karkat, right. You are?" Karkat asked, looking at Nepeta who was chuckling to her brother and his fiance.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize me. My name is Vriska Serket, model for Vogue and I work with a few other major fashion labels." The girl chuckled before sipping her wine.

"Oh. Great." Karkat sighed before taking a gulp of wine. He could already guess what this girl was going to be like. Conceited, Self-absorbed and Stuck-up, probably more interested in her own reflection that anything else. Great.

"You know, you really do look delicious. I'm guessing Nepeta never really tasted you, right?" Vriska asked, startling Karkat.

"What?" He gasped.

"Oh, come on, Karkat." Vriska purred quietly, her voice hushed and seductive. "Nepeta is a good little girl. Like a saint and I'm the sinner. Don't you want to take a bite of a juicy apple?"

* * *

Ooooooooh! What's gonna happen next?;3  
Well, I'm apologizing for weird spaces, again. Stupid laptop.

Leave a review, follow if you really like it :3


	14. Chapter 14

Karkat felt her hands push him back onto the bed, crawling underneath his shirt and caressing his hard torso. He gasps as her long nails leave claw-marks on his pale skin and when she expertly undid the buttons to his shirt, Karkat crawled back as much as he could. Hands slipping on silk sheets and the fabric material of his jeans slid as Karkat pushed himself away. He hadn't let his lips touch hers yet but Karkat knew that at this rate, he would soon succumb.

"Come on, play fair Karkat." Vriska whispered in a seductive tone, fluttering her eyelashes.

Karkat gulped, eager to calm himself down. Vriska looked like the embodiment of seduction, her long hair pooling on the bed either side of her, not obscuring the perfect view of her large breasts that were all but spilling from the tight dress. Then there was how she was all but straddling him and her lips were so close to his, gradually getting closer.

"Vriska, get off me." Karkat hissed, pushing her gently off of his body.

For a minute or two, Vriska looked stunned, as though this had never happened to her before. She gave him a sultry glance before crawling back, pinning his hands above his head. Quickly, her lips came crashing toward his and Karkat turned his head to the right. She kissed his cheek as he pushed Vriska off him, a little rougher this time as she was pushed onto the bed.

Karkat sat bolt upright to see Nepeta stood in the doorway, her eyes filled with tears, her chest raising and falling quickly as though she were hyperventilating. Quickly, Karkat jumped up and walked toward her as she fled.

In the hallway, Nepeta was nowhere to be seen, having already turned a corner and was probably fleeing down the stairs by now. Karkat gulped, realizing how bad it must have looked. Vriska on him and kissing him, hell he didn't even know how long she had been stood there and then he looked down.

Sitting in the plush carpet was the necklace he'd given her earlier on that day. The necklace that had been his gift to her. Fuck.

* * *

Gamzee grinned as he wandered through the streets, coughing and spluttering. They'd gotten him out, they'd given him a new identity, they had proven his innocence in just days. And there he was, wandering the streets lost. Stone cold sober, homeless and angry. Hell, he had been called insane so many times that he was starting to believe it.

And there he was, wandering through the richest neighborhood in New York, his eyes set on the girl he'd seen weeks before. However, this wasn't the same girl in a way. She looked shaken in anger and depression, her make-up streaked down her face in a way that looked so lost and sad that Gamzee barely recognized her. When he had been a kid, his alcoholic parents supporting him, Gamzee had been told never to touch an angry woman by his mother.

"Hey, you okay, chika?"

Gamzee watched the girl turn and look at him, tears streaming down her pale cheeks and mascara streaks forming black rivers down her face. Her eyes were an abyss of melancholy, depression and something Gamzee interpreted to be along the lines of sadness due to betrayal. He had experienced such despicable emotions before when things had been so fragile. Relationships had always been that way, no more than thin seams of string holding together metal plating.

He hardly recognized her, how distressed and lost her fragile body looked in that darkened street. And then he realized that another emotion had taken over her face like a crude mask. This time, however, Gamzee knew the face to be fear. He had seen that face on too many a person recently and he felt the worry take over a little. He was a murderer but suffered anxiety and a doctor had said he was bipolar with split personalities and that Gamzee heard voices so he was a little schizophrenic.

Nepeta stared at the murderer who had almost taken her life just weeks before, walking over to her in a way that seemed completely normal. In her eyes, he was death and she finally understood the saying that death wore a welcoming mask. Though, his face did not contain murderous anger but instead total benevolence. Then, he knelt down and smiled up at her as though she were a startled animal; a deer in the headlights, caught with black stains on it's cheeks.

"You're karbro's girlfriend, right?" Gamzee asked, smiling calmly.

His smile was genuine and looked lazy and sweet on his face. There was the soothing calm in his purple eyes, something like the calm of the sea after a storm had passed and the sheer intensity of a gaze so lazy was surprising to her. And no sooner did she sniff, ready to respond did a single rain-drop hit her nose.

"You... you are the one who tried to... oh god..." Nepeta said slowly, the steady stream of tears drying up as though her fear were a metaphorical sponge. The look on his face was more stunned than anything, as though he didn't quite know how to take the news he'd been given. He'd tried to kill this girl just weeks before and now...

"I'm sorry." Gamzee said.

And then, Nepeta ran again.


End file.
